And then there was none.
The last day of General Convention was a blur--as it always is.  Perhaps the resolution with the biggest impact is to reduce the giving from dioceses to the Episcopal Church gradually to 15% by 2019.  There is consequence to the dioceses who do not give at that level that year.

Michael Curry preached a stirring sermon on the last day. He will be a dynamic Presiding Bishop. The installation for him is November 1 at the National Cathedral.

I got home from Salt Lake very tired but glad to have been part of history in electing Michael Curry and also renewed from seeing the wideness of the Church.

The legislation from General Convention doesn't take effect until Advent I of this year so there is some time to sort out what happened.

I am grateful to our deputation who took their job seriously and engaged the issues fully.

I am also looking forward to being home for awhile and not being in meetings that last from dawn to night.

I am glad to have gone but more glad to be home.  This was a good convention. Be proud of your Church.

+Porter

Friday

And then there was one. There is a kind of frenetic energy that happens as General Convention winds down. We look at the clock and look at the legislation and it's like those nights in college when your paper was due the next day and you are hoping you can drink enough coffee to get inspired.

Perhaps the most consequential legislation yesterday was to change the diocesan apportionment. Currently it is 19% but in 2016 it will be 18%; 2017= 16.5% and 2018= 15%.  Not paying the 15% in 2019 means that dioceses cannot get any grants from the Episcopal Church (like our Mission Enterprise Zone which funds Kairos West).

We also passed  a budget which has many exciting block grants---to work on racism and to start new churches and to promote evangelism.

Today will be a flurry. We start with Presiding Bishop Elect Michael Curry preaching at the Eucharist and then hunker down at our tables until 6:00 when we are all done.

It has been an exhausting Convention but a productive and even inspiring one. As always I will be more than glad to come home.

+Porter

Wednesday

Today was such a intense rich day.
We had a common budget meeting and the recommendations showed how much change the Convention is considering. We have allocated $2 million dollars for grants to address racial injustice and reconciliation.  The budget calls to lower all diocesan assessments to 15%--but find a way to enforce this.

Before this there have been about 15 Standing Commissions during the triennium. This is lowered to two. Everything else will be task forces that can address particular issues but do not have to exist when the need disappears.

The movement at the Convention is to find a way to streamline the Church structure to allow us to respond to the times in which we live.

I am disappointed that we are not shortening Convention nor are we making it smaller, but I am only one vote.

The Rev. Becca Stevens gave a sermon that rocked the house. Clearly the Holy Spirit was upon her. Go to Episcopal News Service and look for it.

Last night the Diocese of Utah presented a display of the culture here--song and dance. It was wonderful and made me want to bring a drum home (but then there is the airplane baggage thing).

Two days left but whose counting?
+Porter

Yesterday (Monday--6/29/15) the House of Bishops took up the resolutions on marriage.  After much debate, the bishops voted to authorized  several trial liturgies for same sex couples to be married.  As you know, we have had trial liturgies for blessings of unions for the past three years.  This is the way the Church changes. It takes six years to change the Book of Common Prayer. The Church will see how these new liturgies work until the next Convention.  The liturgies are in keeping with our Episcopal ethos and they continue what has been going on in our diocese since same sex couples could get married.  They are also more suitable than the Blessing liturgies we already have been using.  The vote was overwhelming.

In order to get our practice in line with our Canons, the House of Bishops also passed a resolution to take out "man and woman" in the marriage canon and replace it with "the couple."  This debate was intense but respectful.  We took a role call vote and the final tally was YES 129 NO 26
ABSTAIN 5. I voted YES on both resolutions.

I think these resolutions allow our Church to continue being a big tent. They don't force anyone to disobey their conscience, but they also insure

that everyone can get married in the Church--- "Bishops... will make provisions for all couples asking to be married in this Church to have access to these liturgies."  We don't spell out how that happens because we are seeking to find a way to remain a Big Tent Church and yet be true to where we are as a Church and a culture. I think the vote indicates the rightness of this move.

Last night the bishops had a dinner and said goodbye to Katharine Jefferts Schori. She has been a remarkable leader and visionary and kind soul. I will miss her very much.

And--yesterday morning High Garst our youth representative read the Old Testament in the Eucharist.

The only bad news is that yesterday it was 103 in Salt Lake----I know, "It's a dry heat."
+Porter

A long but very rich day!
We started with a march early in the morning to end Gun Violence.  There were some moving speeches from victims of gun violence and a stirring speech by Bishop Michael Curry.

Then we went to the Eucharist. Bishop Katharine gave a stirring sermon--calling for the Church to reach out to Jesus, be healed and make the world new.  Margaret King came on the stage to give the WNC ECW funds for the United Thank Offering.

In the afternoon the Bishops began the conversation on marriage proposals but did not have time  to conclude that.

Tonight we have our diocesan dinner which will be a time when the diocesan deputation can get with the ECW.

+Porter

The photos are the bishops from African descent.
The women bishops.
Two photos from the rally against gun violence.
and Margaret King on the stage.

T

This is the day the Lord has made. I certainly rejoiced and am still glad in it.

Today--Saturday, June 27 2015 the Bishops elected a new Presiding Bishop. We gathered with the rest of Convention for the Eucharist and heard a stirring sermon from a Deacon from South Dakota. She is a Native American and preached of bridging Christianity with her Native American religion.

The bishops then exited and got on buses to go to St. Mark's Cathedral.  We prayed and sang hymns. The Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, explained that there were 176 bishops present and therefore the candidates would need 89 votes to be elected.

We all voted---active and retired  bishops. Then five of the bishops went out to count the ballots.
We sang hymns, prayed and then took about a twenty minute break.

The tellers came back in. There was a stillness that happens with the world turns. Bishop Katharine read the results:
Breidenthal 19
Curry 121
Douglas 13
Smith 21

Then the church erupted. I admit tears ran down ,my face. When I hugged Nedi Rivera who was standing next to me, tears were running down our face. We clapped and clapped. Bishop Curry came down and embraced Bishop Katharine. All the bishops of African descent came down. We were laughing and shouting and crying. The earth moved.

I think all four candidates were more than qualified, but this was the time for Michael Curry to lead the Episcopal Church. He brings a prophetic voice with a warm heart. He loves people and loves this Church. He is a leader and a visionary. I am happy and proud to follow him and think you will be too.

Tomorrow we will have our Eucharist and continue but I won't forget this day tomorrow or any day. It was filled with grace and lifted all our spirits.

This is the day the Lord has made. I am rejoice and am very glad in it.
+Porter

Friday.
Another long day. Started with committee meeting at 7:30. At the House of Bishop's we met all the other bishops from outside the Episcopal Church--Brazil, Panama, Cuba, Sweden, Scotland and on and on.

Kristi Neal was one of the deacons in the Eucharist which was fun.

We met with the Deputies to talk about Structure which was fun and interesting. It's new for the two houses to talk to each other and a good thing.

Then more committee meetings. I did get to see all the youth during a break.
Of course, tomorrow is the day to elect the new Presiding Bishop---we bishops go to the Cathedral in the morning to vote and then the name of the one selected goes to the Deputies for confirmation.

The work of my committee--on policies around the use of alcohol---is almost done. Once our resolutions are finished, then we can maybe sleep later in the morning.